"Money Don't Matter 2 Night"
UK 7-inch single
Single by Prince and the New Power Generation
from the album Diamonds and Pearls
B-side
  • "Call the Law"
  • "Push"
ReleasedMarch 3, 1992
RecordedSeptember 4, 1990[1]
StudioWarner Pioneer (Japan)
Genre
Length
  • 4:48 (album and 12-inch version)
  • 4:12 (7-inch edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Prince
Prince and the New Power Generation singles chronology
"Diamonds and Pearls"
(1991)		 "Money Don't Matter 2 Night"
(1992)		 "Thunder"
(1992)
Music video
"Money Don't Matter 2 Night" on YouTube

"Money Don't Matter 2 Night" is a song by American musician Prince and the New Power Generation from their 1991 album, Diamonds and Pearls. Co-written with Rosie Gaines, the lyrics deal directly with money, poverty, and greed. Overall, the song is a smooth delivery with layered vocals by Prince. It peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying music video was directed by Spike Lee.

The B-side is a previously unreleased track "Call the Law", with lead vocals by Tony M., supplemented by Rosie Gaines on the chorus. Prince provides guitar solos throughout the song. The track was added to the New Power Generation release Goldnigga in 1993. The UK 12-inch single and CD release also included the album track "Push".

Chart performance

"Money Don't Matter 2 Night" was an overall modest hit, reaching numbers 23 and 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot 100 Airplay charts respectively, number 14 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, and number 27 on the Airplay chart. It also reached number 19 in the UK, number 18 in Australia, and number seven in the Netherlands.

Critical reception

A reviewer from Cashbox wrote, "The single is real mellow and more laid-back compared to most of his previous material. This cut should attract R&B, adult contemporary, pop and easy listening radio stations with ease. Mark down another hit."[3] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly called it "one startling moment" from the album, that "is sung in a soulful growl that sounds utterly unaffected". He also added that it "sports a slinky, subtle groove that recalls the maturity of Stevie Wonder’s early-’70s heyday."[4] A writer from the Gavin Report commented, "Strictly a lyrical record in which Prince speaks of the priceless and the invaluable as well as the here-today and the gone-tomorrow. An easy going, if not carefree musical treat."[5]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media found that after a ballad, "Diamonds And Pearls", "his royal badness speeds up the tempo just a little bit, for a nicely floating and immediately catchy number."[6] Gavin Martin from NME felt the song is where Diamonds and Pearls "really shines in unadorned glory".[7] Tom Doyle from Smash Hits named it "the best song" on the LP, and "the best tune he's done for years." He remarked that here, Prince "gets into a laidback groove".[8]

Retrospective response

In an 2016 retrospective review, Patrick Corcoran from Albumism said, "As lyrically scathing as anything he'd written to that point, it included the scarily prescient line "anything's better than a picture of a child in a cloud of gas"." He added, "Capturing the zeitgeist as Iraq was invaded for the first time, but also heartbreakingly, perpetually relevant to our times too, Prince's restrained delivery fits perfectly."[9] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic noted the "extraordinary Philly soul" of "the neglected masterpiece", viewing it as a "terrific" pop single.[10] Mike Diver for the BBC in 2010, stated in his 2010 review, that "there's no doubting Money Don't Matter 2 Night is the heart and soul of this album. A slow-paced strut, the track's a celebration of realising that hard cash isn't the be all and end all of one's existence".[11] Simon Price from The Guardian named the song as a "highlight" from the album in 2016, describing it as "thoughtfully mature".[12] Another editor, Alexis Petridis, said it is "a fantastic song, the smoothness of its sound and delivery masking a punchy, politically engaged lyric that takes in both consumerism and Operation Desert Storm."[13]

Music videos

The song is notable for its promotional video, directed by Spike Lee.[14] Featuring a poverty-stricken African-American family, with no shots of Prince, it was considered overly political and not "MTV friendly". A second version was issued, which included footage of the song performed by Prince and the New Power Generation, which was directed by Sotera Tschetter.

Personnel

Personnel are adapted from Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud[15][16]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Money Don't Matter 2 Night"
Chart (1992) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[17] 18
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18] 23
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19] 27
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] 19
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[21] 24
Europe (European Dance Radio)[22] 6
France (SNEP)[23] 26
Germany (Official German Charts)[24] 48
Ireland (IRMA)[25] 10
Italy (Musica e dischi)[26] 16
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27] 7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] 9
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] 20
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 34
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 23
UK Singles (OCC)[32] 19
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 23
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[34] 14

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Money Don't Matter 2 Night"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States March 3, 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • cassette
United Kingdom March 16, 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [35]

References

  1. ↑ "Money Don't Matter 2 Night". Prince Vault.
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Prince & the New Power Generation: Diamonds and Pearls > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  3. ↑ "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. March 28, 1992. p. 6. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  4. ↑ Browne, David (October 4, 1991). "Diamonds and Pearls". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  5. ↑ "A/C: Reviews" (PDF). Gavin Report. April 10, 1992. p. 26. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  6. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. March 28, 1992. p. 24. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  7. ↑ Martin, Gavin (October 5, 1991). "Long Play". NME. p. 36. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  8. ↑ Doyle, Tom (March 4, 1992). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 48. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  9. ↑ Corcoran, Patrick (September 27, 2016). "Prince & The New Power Generation's 'Diamonds and Pearls' Turns 25: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  10. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Prince & the New Power Generation / Prince - Diamonds and Pearls". AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ Diver, Mike (2010). "Prince & The New Power Generation Diamonds and Pearls Review". BBC. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  12. ↑ Price, Simon (April 22, 2016). "Prince: every album rated – and ranked". The Guardian. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  13. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (September 12, 2019). "Prince's 50 greatest singles – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Prince & the New Power Generation - "Money don't matter 2night"". mvdbase.com. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  15. ↑ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
  16. ↑ "Diamonds and Pearls". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – Money Don't Matter 2 Night". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – Money Don't Matter 2 Night" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – Money Don't Matter 2 Night" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2130." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 15. April 11, 1992. p. 22.
  22. ↑ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. May 9, 1992. p. 32. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – Money Don't Matter 2 Night" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – Money Don't Matter 2 Night" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  25. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Money Don't Matter 2 Night". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved May 28, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Prince".
  27. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 16, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – Money Don't Matter 2 Night" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – Money Don't Matter 2 Night". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – Money Don't Matter 2 Night". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – Money Don't Matter 2 Night". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  35. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. March 14, 1992. p. 12.
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